Where is the goat?

Spring seems to be here in Dolores, much to the relief of many, except for maybe the farmers who would like to see much more snow in the mountains. We need to fill McPhee, so a few more high-altitude storms would be nice.

But in the meantime, many have been out enjoying the weather. The snow is melting and Dolores is starting to warm up.

But one usual sign of spring has been missing this year much to the disappointment of me. I have not seen the Black Goat. This saddens me or makes me happy, I haven't figured out.

For years, some say as long as 12 years, that black goat has stood watch over Dolores. And every spring, the goat would appear, sunning on its favorite large rock above the Dolores Fire Department.

To many children, it is a fun game trying to find the goat. To others, the goat is a sign of perseverance. Just how can an apparent escaped goat live alone, on the hilltop over Dolores for so long?

I have stopped to look for the goat and asked around, and nobody I find has seen the goat. Have you seen the goat? Or did the goat move on, perhaps, to another town and is watching over them, maybe a town with greener pastures.

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Don't forget, this is your last Friday Dolores Star. Starting next week, the Star will come out Thursdays. Lucky you! Now you get to read all the Dolores news one day earlier. This also means that if you are submitting anything to the paper, I will need it by noon on Tuesday. Please send submittals to news@doloresstar.com.

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Soft Adventures Rafting, a company started last year, needs help. Last year's rafting season was short, way too short for a company starting out in its first year. The company is asking for help this year and has started a website asking for donations to help start this rafting season. For more information, go to http://www.gofundme.com/2fdg9w.

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If you read last week's paper, you may have read the story about Hannah Truelsen and her big win at a horse show in Arizona. Well, the Pony Expresso recently announced that they are making a drink in honor of Truelsen and they are calling it, The Tennessee Walker. I am told this coffee drink is very yummy and includes chocolate and banana and strawberry syrup. Yummm.

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Today's editorial cartoon (see the top of this page) was picked by Dolores Elementary School third-grade students. They stopped by the Star this week to learn the ins and outs of community journalism and got to vote on their favorite editorial cartoon too.